Skully

I really wanted to like this game but I just don't. It's too pricey for what it is and I feel like controlling all of these "mud golems" or whatever they're called, kind of just takes away from the fun part of the game (rolling around as a little skull), not to mention they don't feel fun to play as either. I know this isn't really in-depth, but they're the main gripes I had with the game.

Cute graphics and the marble-rolling mechanics are fun, but all in all I'm already a bit sick of it after finishing the second level. After the first five minutes already a kind of monotony sets in, with all tracks and environments of the same level feeling more or less indistinguishable. The switching between forms is slow, and the golem is clunky and dull to move around in. The music is repetitive (which kinda sucks when you have to spend, like, 15 minutes in the same level), and the narrator is so corny... Maybe it's unfair after playing for half an hour, but I find it hard to believe it becomes more engaging and less repetitive in later levels, even if there's new golem forms -- the core clunkiness is unlikely to change. I don't know, there's a good game here if it had a bit more flavour and played more dynamically, but as is I wouldn't recommend it.

A marble platformer where you roll around as a skull, with the additional mechanics that you can take golem forms to solve different puzzles. However crossing a map seems to involve a bunch of frustrating backtracking and easily getting turned around and accidentally going in circles, and the controls felt pretty stiff. I thought the marble aspect was decent but the golem forms felt like they just slowed the pace of the game down so you could punch some walls. I didn't really feel like seeing it through.

great game for steam deck

First of all I'd like to say that I rarely leave reviews, especially on games I didn't enjoy, but this needs to be said. I will attempt to be as fair as I can with this review. First, the good: The concept was interesting and amusing, and for about the first hour or so it was fun to play. The artwork was great, and I loved the music. The story was even fairly good, and the comedic nature of the occasional interjections by the siblings did make me laugh relatively often. Now the bad: While in skull form, the game handles like you're constantly on ice. Coming to a full stop, especially on say, a small platform was difficult to say the least. So of course the game is absolutely packed with platforming puzzles, most of which you have to do while in skull form. The game's idea of giving you an intro to any mechanics, are crude cave drawings that barely make any sense at times. That's if they even bother telling you about particular mechanics at all. I was three quarters of the way through the game and stuck so I consulted a walkthrough video, only to find out that you could reinhabit one of the golems after leaving it! As far as I'm aware, the game never tells you this. The checkpoints are either practically on top of each other or several minutes apart, which they especially like doing when you have to go through a frustrating platforming part where you've been going for five minutes, just to accidentally fall off a platform to your doom for the fifteenth time, then have to start all over from the previous checkpoint. The puzzles range from tedious and time consuming to 'how the hell was I supposed to figure that out without a walkthrough?!' Which I recall myself saying on a fairly regular basis. The escape from the volcano.... I have been playing video games for nearly fourty years, and I have never in my life been so triggered by having to redo the same five minutes of gameplay again and again and again for over an hour because the rising lava is extremely unforgiving timewise, and they literally put things in to slow you down. To make things worse it was at least three or four times longer than it had any right to be, with all of maybe two checkpoints along the way. By about two hours in, the only reason I kept playing was sheer spite. By the final two hours, I literally hated every second of playing, but was absolutely determined to finish it just on principal. If you are some kind of masochist that enjoys losing your mind over and over and over again because of puzzles that aren't just hard, but borderline impossible at points. Go ahead, play it. But I can not in good conscience recommend this game to anyone else.

——记录：24/11/26入。 —— 3D 物理平台解谜，以「骷髅头滚动闯关 + 三形态黏土变身」为核心创意，海岛奇幻题材搭配童趣定格动画过场，视觉氛围轻松治愈。核心滚动玩法有独特的动量爽感，多形态解谜思路新颖，但操作手感滑腻失控、形态切换设计繁琐、物理判定玄学的硬伤十分突出。 ——综合评分：6.0/10 ——背景&剧情： 故事发生在一座与世隔绝的奇幻海岛上：一颗漂流的骷髅头被大地之神特里用魔法黏土复活，得名「Skully」。特里委托这位小小的新生命当调停者，去调解自己三位执掌不同元素的兄弟姐妹之间的千年纷争 —— 几位神明的内讧已经让岛屿四分五裂，再不阻止整座岛都将彻底崩塌。 叙事走低龄童话风，剧情过场采用黏土定格动画风格呈现，角色配音诙谐轻松，整体氛围温暖直白。但故事体量非常单薄，神明纷争的背景交代潦草，角色塑造扁平，结局收尾仓促，更多是串联关卡的背景包装，很难留下深刻印象。 ——本作是物理驱动的 3D 平台跳跃 + 轻度解谜组合，所有机制围绕「滚动动量」与「形态切换」两大核心展开，全程无深度战斗，敌人仅作为障碍点缀。 1.基础骷髅形态：动量滚动闯关。骷髅头靠滚动前进，完全遵循物理惯性：加速需要距离缓冲，转弯会打滑，下坡容易失控，跳跃距离和当前速度直接挂钩；玩法类似球形平台跳跃：靠速度冲坡、跨间隙、走窄道、贴壁滑行，手感偏硬核；死亡无严重惩罚，直接回最近检查点重生，但检查点分布不均，容易出现长段路程反复重开的情况。 2.三大黏土形态：（形态切换是核心解谜逻辑，但设计非常死板：必须回到泥池才能换形态，部分复杂解谜需要反复往返切换，来回跑路大幅拖慢节奏。） 2.1-强力形态：血厚耐打，可重拳击碎岩壁、释放震地波秒杀自爆水怪，负责开路和处理敌人； 2.2-迅捷形态：移速快可冲刺，能水平推动石块搭建通路，主打速度与横向解谜； 2.3-腾空形态：拥有超高跳跃力，可垂直升降方块，负责高处平台与纵向空间解谜。 ——仅推荐3D平台跳跃爱好者、能接受物理惯性硬核手感、偏爱奇幻轻松题材、喜欢尝试小众创意玩法的玩家。26/08/10

Skully is a 3D platformer developed and published by Finish Line Games that centers on an unusual protagonist: a small, animated skull brought to life by mysterious forces on a fractured island ruled by feuding deities. The premise immediately sets a whimsical yet mythic tone, blending light fantasy with character-driven storytelling. You take control of Skully, a once-lifeless skull revived by a clay goddess to serve as her champion. The island is on the brink of collapse due to the escalating conflict between three siblings, each embodying different natural elements, and Skully becomes an unlikely mediator navigating the chaos. At its core, Skully is built around physics-based rolling mechanics. Unlike traditional platformers where characters run and jump in predictable arcs, Skully moves primarily by rolling, which introduces a constant sense of momentum. Traversing slopes, launching off ramps, and maintaining balance across narrow platforms become central challenges. When the movement flows well, it feels smooth and kinetic, encouraging players to maintain rhythm and control. However, the same physics-driven design can also introduce unpredictability, especially when precision is required. Slight miscalculations in speed or angle can lead to frustrating falls, and mastering the momentum system requires patience. A major gameplay feature is Skully’s ability to transform into different clay golem forms by entering magical clay pools scattered throughout the island. Each form offers unique abilities that expand both combat and puzzle-solving possibilities. The Strong Form emphasizes power, allowing Skully to smash obstacles and confront certain enemies directly. The Swift Form enhances speed and maneuverability, ideal for time-sensitive challenges and longer traversal sequences. The Vault Form focuses on verticality, enabling higher jumps and greater aerial control. Switching between these forms is necessary to navigate complex environmental puzzles, giving the platforming a strategic layer beyond simple jumping sequences. Level design spans multiple biomes, each reflecting the influence of one of the island’s elemental deities. Lava fields, watery caverns, forested cliffs, and wind-swept plateaus each introduce environmental hazards that test both movement control and transformation management. While many levels follow a linear progression from start to finish, others open into broader areas with optional collectibles and branching paths. Hidden flowers scattered throughout stages provide optional goals for completionists, though they do not drastically alter gameplay. Some environments, however, can feel visually repetitive, and navigation occasionally suffers due to similar textures and lack of a mini-map. The narrative ambition of Skully sets it apart from many indie platformers. Fully voiced cutscenes tell the story of sibling rivalry, ancient grievances, and the burden placed upon an unlikely hero. The interactions between Skully’s creator and her brothers aim to inject emotional weight into the journey, framing the conflict as more than a simple good-versus-evil scenario. While the storytelling adds personality and context, its pacing can feel uneven, and some players may find the dialogue overly explanatory. Still, the effort to deliver a cohesive narrative adds dimension beyond the mechanics. Visually, Skully adopts a colorful, stylized aesthetic that suits its fantasy setting. The island environments are vibrant and varied, with exaggerated rock formations and dynamic weather effects that enhance atmosphere. Character models and animations, particularly for the elemental deities, convey distinct personalities. However, certain textures and visual effects reveal the game’s indie budget, and camera positioning can sometimes obscure precise platforming segments. Audio design complements the presentation with a fitting orchestral soundtrack and solid voice performances that reinforce the mythic tone. Reception to Skully has been mixed, reflecting its blend of creative ideas and mechanical inconsistencies. Many players appreciate its unique rolling mechanics and transformation system, finding enjoyment in mastering its unconventional movement. Others note frustrations with camera control, occasional input imprecision, and uneven difficulty spikes. The game’s relatively short runtime—typically completed within several hours—makes it approachable but may leave players wishing for expanded depth or additional refinements. Ultimately, Skully is a platformer driven by originality and charm rather than flawless execution. Its physics-based movement, elemental transformation system, and narrative framing create a distinctive identity within the genre. While it may not achieve the polish of larger-budget platformers, it offers a creative and characterful journey for players willing to embrace its quirks. For those drawn to inventive mechanics and whimsical fantasy settings, Skully provides a memorable, if imperfect, adventure. Rating: 6/10

un bon moment, une réflexion sur les conflit familial, un plateformer puzzle assez exigent mais accessible, top ^^